1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions for optical glass having high refractive index and high dispersion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among the optical glasses of high refractive index and high dispersion, some fall within the category usually called flint glass, bi-flint glass, barium flint glass, bi-barium flint glass, antimony flint glass, etc. These glasses chiefly contain silicic acid or boracic acid as the glass network forming oxide; they contain alkali metal oxide, alkali earth metal oxide, zinc oxide, lead oxide, antimony oxide, titanium oxide or the like as the glass network modifying oxide, and aluminum oxide as the intermediate oxide. These optical glasses have been widely used as the indispensable materials for the elements constituting an optical system; but they are not always adequate for transmissivity to light rays and chemical durability. This is particularly true with regard to optical glasses which are high in refractive index and low in silicic acid content.
Recently, along with the popularization of color photography, the requirement for the suitable transmissivity of optical glasses to light rays has become so essential that the yellowish color peculiar to the optical glasses falling within the described category has come to be regarded as a more serious limitation than ever before. Also, advanced polishing techniques for optical glasses have often caused the glass materials to be subjected to unusually severe machining conditions. Moreover, as multilayer coatings have come into wide usage, surface layer alteration due to corrosion has become unacceptable and thus, the property of chemical durability has become most important.